Just Different
by Corinne Everett
Summary: Ivan decides to take a walk around the house one night and overhears his sister Natalia's thoughts. When she disappears for three weeks, he thinks nothing of the strange scratching sound at the door... Based off of a picture on by hetaliasse


_Here We go  
Welcome to my funeral  
Without you  
I don't even have a pulse  
All alone it's dark and cold  
With every move I die _

Ivan passed through the near silent house. He probably shouldn't have been up, considering how late it was, but something had been prying at his mind the whole day, and he hadn't gotten proper time to think it over. The only sounds he could hear were of the wind outside and his footsteps. It was mostly dark in the rooms, except for when a curtain was partially opened and moonlight could seep in. And the unnatural lighting down the hall coming from—Ivan shuddered—Natalia's room. It wasn't like her to be up this late, though. Ivan knew that the only time she really would be up like this is if she managed to catch him out and about before bed. When that happened, she was usually clawing a door to death trying to get him. This, though, was definitely not a normal situation.

Light shone from under the door and through the small gap between the frame and door. It wasn't as though the main light in the room were on, because it flickered when a draft blew through the house. As Ivan moved closer, he heard the light humming. Such a gentle, lilting melody. It was times like these when Natalia seemed so much less terrifying than on a daily basis. Ivan stood for a moment by the doorway, just listening to the tune. A few seconds were allowed to pass before he actually peered into the dim room, seeing the young lady sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. The tune suddenly stopped and she whispered, making Ivan strain to hear her.

"Why don't you love me, brother? What have I done wrong? Am I not pretty enough? Is sister better? She's so beautiful, I could see why...or is it that Chinese boy? Is he better than me as well? Is it because he doesn't follow you around? That's why, isn't it? Maybe I should just...leave? You would prefer that, wouldn't you, brother? Then you could be with whoever you wanted. You wouldn't have to see me anymore...wouldn't have to worry." The silence was unnerving now, and Ivan watched as tears silently dribbled down Natalia's cheeks. Ivan pressed himself against the wall, biting his lip. Silence took hold of everything, and then a small sound. Drawers opening. A bag being opened. The candle fluttered out and the door opened. Ivan froze, terrified. Natalia clutched her bag close, rushing down the hall towards the front room. She really was going to leave like this? In the night, with such terrible weather? But he wouldn't be able to do anything without upsetting her more unnecessarily. There was no point to it. He continued his little night walk, standing straight and pushing the problem from his mind.

_**~V~**_

Three weeks had passed in relative peace. Toris, one of the servants, seemed to be the most disturbed by the absence of Natalia. Every day seemed to be a slow one for him, with his mind wandering and something ending up broken. Ivan spent the days calmly, keeping composure whenever another dish broke. It really wasn't Toris' fault this was happening, his emotions were out of control. His love for the strange girl was out of his grasp.

The night had fallen, and Ivan finally managed to relax himself into bed. Then he heard it. A faint scratching, like an animal or a tree scraping against the house. He didn't worry about it, considering the season and the state of the trees in the yard. A storm was passing over, but the wind had died down. The scratching continued nearly only night, not seeming to subside. Ivan concluded to discover the source in the morning when he took a walk. Surely, it would just be an animal of some sort trying to find its way into the warmth.

_**~V~**_

Ivan sat quietly at the table, waiting for the three other members of the house to show up. Toris was the first to walk in, jumping when he saw Ivan.

"G-good morning, Mr. Braginsky...I wasn't expecting to see you up so early. Did something outside wake you?"

Ivan chuckled, sipping his hot chocolate shortly after. "As a matter of fact, yes. Did you hear the scratching last night? It kept me awake for quite a while. Whatever it was, it was quite persistent on trying to get in..." A faint shimmer of hope in Toris' eyes caught Ivan's glance momentarily, then it disappeared.

"I heard it once throughout the night, but I thought it was just a tree. Unless a dog or wolf was prowling around, I can't imagine any creature that would be out so late. And I don't think it...would be Miss Natalia. She would have enough sense to wait until day, wouldn't she?" Ivan shrugged his shoulders, then stood.

"I'm going to go investigate, see if I can find anything outside that might tell me what it could have been. I'll be sure to let you know when I find it." Ivan smiled sweetly, then strode out of the room, heading for the front door. It was going to be quite cold outside with the fresh layer of snow, but that wouldn't bother him. He was used to it by now. He pulled the two doors open, then his eyes drifted down to the steps. His smile faded instantly, his eyes growing wide. The mug in his hand dropped from his hand and shattered on the ground, the warm liquid spilling everywhere.

There she was, with bloodied fingers and tears frozen onto her cheeks. Ivan turned and looked at the door, tears springing to his own eyes. Blood and scratch marks covered the entire surface, making his stomach flip-flop several times. How could this be? She'd been gone for weeks without a word, not even a hint that she would want to come back. Why would she do this to herself? Did she think she could claw her way through the door? She was so pale, her platinum blonde hair starting to contrast with her skin now. Ivan stood frozen in horror, then moved quickly. He couldn't leave her out here any longer like this! His arms went carefully under his sister's limp body, lifting her. He sighed, carrying her inside. She was such a handful, but...how could he not love her? He closed the doors behind himself with his boot, taking himself to the farthest reaches of the house. Everything would be normal again soon...


End file.
